1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system which can utilize a function of an image processing apparatus as a web service, an image processing apparatus, and a control method of the system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is an apparatus called a multifunction peripheral (MFP) which incorporates the functionality of multiple apparatuses including a scanner, a printer, a fax machine, and a network transmission apparatus into one housing. Further, it is known that the functions of the MFP can be utilized as a web service to use the MFP by a command output from an external apparatus.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-203869 discusses a system including a MFP which generates a job (print job, image data transmission job, etc.), and executes the job when it receives a request for the web service from an external apparatus. The request is generated based on Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP).
Regarding the system discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-203869, a plurality of jobs are generated by the MFP depending on the request for the web service transmitted from the external apparatus. For example, if the MFP receives a request such as “print image data as well as transmit the image data to a file transfer protocol (FTP) server”, the MFP generates two jobs of a print job (print the image data) and a transmission job (transmit the image data).
If the MFP receives a request for a web service via SOAP from an external apparatus, the MFP needs to transmit (upload) a response to the external apparatus. The response is, for example, an execution result of the job. However, as described above, if a plurality of jobs is generated based on the request for web service, the processing time of the jobs will be different depending on the content, type, and setting of the job. Thus, the execution results of the jobs cannot be transmitted (uploaded) to the external apparatus at the same time.
For example, if a print job and a transmission job are requested, normally, the print job takes longer time than the transmission job. Accordingly, the timing the execution result of the print job can be transmitted will be later than that of the transmission job.
If the execution result of each of the plurality of jobs generated according to the request for the web service is individually uploaded from the MFP to the external apparatus at the timing each job is finished, the number of times the MFP communicates with the external apparatus will be increased. Accordingly, the volume of the communication traffic is increased.
However, if the results of the jobs that take different execution time are transmitted at the same time, the execution result of the job which can be finished in a short time cannot be swiftly uploaded to the external apparatus even if it is finished.
When a plurality of jobs taking different processing time are executed by the image processing apparatus, if each of the execution results of the jobs is individually transmitted to the external apparatus across the board, or if the execution results of the jobs are transmitted at one time to the external apparatus across the board, depending on the job type or the job setting, the number of communication times will be increased or the execution results of the jobs cannot be promptly transmitted.